"Adults deserve the same access to recreation as our youth, and funding opportunities for them to participate are few and far between."
Many programs in Nova Scotia support participation in recreation, but often, they focus on youth participants. The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg has established a program that provides financial support to adults aged 19 and above to enjoy recreational activities. This month's Promising Practice/Success Story will highlight the PRO Fund, which is making recreation more affordable and accessible for adults.
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg is the third-largest rural municipality in Nova Scotia, with a population of over 24,863. The Municipality expanded its PRO Kids Fund in 2024 after a municipal councillor attended a session at the Association of Municipal Administrators Nova Scotia Conference. The PRO Fund is a financial assistance program for adults aged 19 and above who reside in the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg. It supports those who, due to a lack of financial resources, would not otherwise be able to participate in recreational, sports, or cultural activities.
Lunenburg's Program Coordinator, Tissy Bolivar, says that once the municipal council decided to move forward with the program, implementation was quite simple: "We received a grant from [the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage] to help launch the program. We had an existing policy for our PRO Kids program, which we amended to include the newly formed PRO Fund program."
The PRO Fund launched on April 1st, 2024. Tissy says the first year of the program was a big success: "We funded 22 adults [for] nearly $15,000 in the 2024-2025 fiscal year." Activities funded through the program include hockey, fitness memberships, pickleball, horseback riding, music lessons, sailing and curling. Tissy says people who received funding through the program were quite diverse, "Participants ranged in age from 19-75+, with varying abilities and backgrounds, from all across our Municipality." One program participant says the PRO Fund made recreation accessible, "I'm truly grateful for this opportunity that I would otherwise not be able to pursue without support. I'm excited!"
When asked if she had any advice for organizations considering a similar project, Tissy said to do it! "Adults deserve the same access to recreation as our youth, and funding opportunities for them to participate are few and far between," Tissy says. The municipality is grateful to be able to offer funding support for recreation to all residents of the Municipality!
Do you have a promising practice or success story you would like to share with the recreation sector? Contact Kerri Jack at